Scuba continues his Phenix series with a second installment entirely devoid of the euphoric hallmarks of the Personality era but missing none of the familiar attitude. No trace of vocals, feel-good chords or retro kicks, no real concern for the hour or room, Phenix 2 is instead teeming with mood and spirit.

From the underwater tones of opener, ‘Aphids’, through the hedonist techno grit of ‘Choke’ and ‘Solitary Confinement’, to the free indirect dissonance that is ‘Distance’, on Phenix 2 we see Scuba at his most impenitent. Cocksure improvisation, heads-down escapism and ardor in restraint are all at play on a record that manages to sound distinct from what came before it, yet all the while one which bears an unmistakable signature.